The Biggest AI Controversies In Pop Culture, Ranked By Outrage Caused
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Even though artificial intelligence has been in the works for decades, it hit a huge popularity surge in 2023. Rather than just using it to assist with tasks, companies began using it to create content instead of hiring people to do it. While it may seem efficient to produce AI-generated images, writing, and music, it often does more harm than good.
With AI being so popular, many people are getting called out for using it unethically. Companies keep using it to create content featuring celebrities without their consent, or to create deceiving images. Fortunately, it's still relatively easy to tell what's AI and what's not by closely looking at it, but it's making it difficult for people to trust brands these days.
If you're fascinated by AI controversies, there are lots of them that have occurred in recent years. Below is a list of some pop culture moments that involved AI-related issues. Rank up the ones that you think are the most worthy of people getting upset over.
- 1
An AI-Generated Special Featuring George Carlin Angered The Late Comedian’s Estate
Dudesy, a YouTube channel with podcasts hosted by Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, has included a lot of AI content. An early 2024 comedy special on the channel titled “I'm Glad I'm Dead” features an AI version of the late comedian George Carlin. The AI clearly states that it's just impersonating him and not pretending to be him, but the video still caused backlash.
Carlin's daughter Kelly Carlin was outraged. As reported by The Guardian, she stated in X (formerly Twitter):
My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain, and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius. These AI-generated products are clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again.
This isn't the first time Dudesy has caused a flap with AI, and it's probably not the last, so Kelly is now encouraging the families of other late comedians to speak up too.
Anger-inducing AI? - 2
Tom Hanks Warned Fans About A Dental Ad Featuring An AI Version of Him
In September 2023, Tom Hanks “appeared” in an ad for a dental plan, but it wasn't him at all. The actor turned to Instagram to warn fans he wasn't connected to the ads and that they depicted an AI version of him:
BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it.
Hanks has discussed AI before, stating that people can recreate anyone through deepfakes - dead or alive. This poses both artistic and legal challenges.
Anger-inducing AI? - 3
Scarlett Johansson Sued Over An Ad That Used An AI Version of Her Likeness
Scarlett Johansson took legal action against a company after it used AI to deceive people into thinking she was their spokesperson. In an ad posted on X (formerly Twitter), the actress appeared to be talking about an app called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar. The company used a behind the scenes video from Black Widow, along with AI photos and Johansson's voice, to make it seem like she was promoting the app.
A few days after the ad appeared on social media, it was taken down. However, brands using AI versions of celebrities seems to be a reoccurring issue. Johansson's attorney Kevin Yorn warned:
We do not take these things lightly. Per our usual course of action in these circumstances, we will deal with it with all legal remedies that we will have.
Anger-inducing AI? - 4
Several Black Celebrities Were Targeted In YouTube Videos That Used AI-Generated Misinformation
Several YouTube channels centered around false news stories of Black celebrities have been popping up using content from real-life scandals and lawsuits to create untrue stories of uninvolved celebrities. Targeted stars have included actor Denzel Washington, TV host Steve Harvey, and Bishop T.D. Jakes.
One example is a video that implies Jakes was involved in the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs. Videos like this provide no evidence and use manipulated photos to show extreme emotions and inappropriate content. YouTube is attempting to terminate these channels, but it's getting out of hand. According to Angelica Nwandu, the founder and CEO of major Black culture news source The Shade Room:
We’ve seen these pages that pop up on YouTube or TikTok, and they will have an AI-generated picture of Rihanna crying over A$AP [Rocky] going to jail, and it’s completely fake. Our audience will DM and say “Why aren’t you posting this news?” “Why aren’t you covering this story?” Because they believe these pages.
Anger-inducing AI? - 5
Inappropriate Deepfake Images Of Taylor Swift Prompted Lawmakers To Suggest New Regulations For AI
Explicit deepfake images of Taylor Swift circulated on social media without her consent, causing politicians to take action. People viewed the AI photos millions of times because they were not taken down quickly and accounts kept sharing them. While dealing with the issue, X (formerly Twitter) stopped allowing searches for “Taylor Swift" and “Taylor Swift AI.”
US Representative Joe Morelle proposed an act that would make it illegal to share explicit deepfakes without a person's consent. After the situation with Swift, he urged fellow lawmakers to act quickly. Even though AI images like these aren't new, they're becoming more common, and are very harmful to the people they mimic.
Anger-inducing AI? - 6
Podcast Host Bobbi Althoff Had To Debunk A Sexually Explicit AI Video of Her
The reputation of Bobbi Althoff, a social media star and podcast host, was tarnished when explicit non-consensual deepfakes of her started trending on X (formerly Twitter). Naturally, she thought she was trending because of her podcast, but was horrified to see the truth. She said the clip was so graphic that she covered her eyes while watching it. X claims it has a zero tolerance policy for explicit deepfakes, but they're becoming increasingly popular. Althoff assured her fans that the videos were fake:
Hate to disappoint you all, but the reason I'm trending is 100% not me & is definitely AI generated.
Anger-inducing AI?
